In B areas, homes will be modest but maintained, grass mowed, no cars up on cinder blocks, etc.After you've narrowed down your choices to your top one or two, just make the trip out to meet them.

Texas standard residential lease states something similar to this: 'if landlord or agents are denied or not able to access the property after first attempting to contact tenant, lanlord may charge tenant a trip fee as stated in paragraph 15.' 

I am in the nearby New Orleans market and travel through Alabama from time to time on weekend trips to the Florida Panhandle beaches.

@Jacob Daniels, I don't think the hold period is going to trip you up. 

Then you can start throwing money at the principal, saving for the next down payment, or planning the Hawaii trip.

I currently have 2 places in Florida and text my cleaners every time we get a booking, and also if someone cancels or extends a trip.

I'm actually planning a trip there in about two weeks to check on potential properties.

In my STR market (Galveston TX), folks sometimes offer ghost tours or art walks to add to one’s trip.

When I lived there I loved going on road trips up that way.

seemed to do the trick, but I wasn't sure until I went on a one-week trip in late spring.